Allocation method and apparatus for reusing network resources in a wireless communication system

Abstract

In a wireless communication system (106), base stations (118, 120) are connected to a backbone network (116) such as a wired LAN and act as access points and relays for remote stations (128, 132, 136). A remote station registers and performs bidirectional communication with one of the base stations designated as its home base station. Base stations have overlapping coverage areas where a remote station is within reception range of several base stations. Such communication system may for instance be a multicell radio LAN using frequency hopping signaling. The method allows reuse of a limited number of network resources such as frequency hopping patterns and assign the same resource to several active base stations. Upon request from a base station, a network controller (110) connected to the backbone network computes a distance index between the requesting base station and the other active base stations and assigns to the requesting base station the same network resource as the one assigned to another base station with the highest distance index. Information about cells overlaps is centralized in a control database (109) and used by the network controller to compute distance indexes.

We claim: 
     
       1. A communication system comprising a local area network (116) connected to a plurality of base stations (118, 120), each base station (118) having a geographic area, defined as a cell, within which remote stations (128, 132, 136) are within reception range with said each base station, said each base station being capable of performing bidirectional communication over a shared communication media with one or more of said remote stations under control of a controller (110) connected to said local area network, said system comprising: (a) means in a given base station for sending a request to said controller for assigning, by said controller, a network resource; and   (b) means in said controller for selecting and assigning to said given base station said network resource in response to said request, wherein the means in said controller further comprises means for calculating distance indexes between said given base station and other base stations and means for selecting the network resource already assigned to one of said other base stations with the highest distance index to said given base station.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 wherein said network resources includes a pool of radio frequency hopping patterns used for performing bidirectional radio communication between said base stations and said remote stations. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 2 wherein each said base station further comprises: (c) means for monitoring interference relative to its assigned frequency hopping pattern;   (d) means for determining if frequency hopping pattern revision is necessary as the result of monitoring of interferences; and   (e) means for requesting from said controller assignment of a new frequency hopping pattern if said revision is necessary.